Firefox has seen better days before the arrival of Google Chrome. But earlier this week, Mozilla, the nonprofit organization behind Firefox, has announced an upgrade that gives other internet browsers a run for their money. Here’s what you need to know.

What is it?

Firefox Quantum, AKA Firefox 57, is Mozilla’s newest and fastest web browser, a culmination of years of Mozilla engineer’s hard work if you will.

What has changed?

Most of the updates in Firefox Quantum comes from Mozilla’s experimental web browser layout engine called Servo. It has been the testing platform for all of Firefox’s new features, including a new programming language called Rust that Mozilla had developed.

Rust is important because it allows Firefox Quantum to take full advantage of multiple CPU cores, a functionality that no previous versions of Firefox have. This gives the web browser a substantial speed boost. It also means that Firefox now uses 30% less RAM, possibly even less than Chrome.

Apart from speed, Firefox Quantum comes with a simple, streamlined interface that can be customized based on your preferences.

Mozilla has also made sure that the web browser’s display has clearer definitions on high-DPI screens and work better on laptops with touchscreens.

Firefox Quantum still comes with Pocket, a feature which lets you save articles, videos, pages, and other files to an easily accessible folder. It also has screenshot functionality and a reading mode that hides anything other than the page’s contents to remove any distractions.

All in all, Firefox Quantum seems to have tackled all the gripes that led many users to Chrome: speed and resource usage. The final version is scheduled to launch on November 14th, 2017.

Until then, you can test its features in the current beta or developer release. And as always, if you have any questions or would love to know more about how the web might benefit your business, just give us a call.

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In a win-win move for virtualization vendors and end-users, two of the biggest names in the industry are making their platforms compatible with each other. Amazon Web Services (AWS) can now host virtual machines that use VMware, and that has huge implications for disaster recovery plans.

Virtualization review

Traditional servers and desktops use computer hardware inefficiently. Their multitasking capabilities are limited and a lot of computing power is wasted on unnecessary tasks. Virtualization software alleviates these problems by splitting one physical server into smaller virtual machines so power is more evenly distributed.

For example, if you need your server to handle both an in-house database and an online service, you might want to limit the resources it devotes to the in-house database so your customer-facing website never lacks capacity. Or, you might want to create 10 virtual desktops on your server so employees can access their work from cheap workstations with little more than an internet connection.

On premises vs. the cloud

There are countless ways you can use virtualization to make your IT more efficient, but only two options for implementing the infrastructure it is based on. You can either virtualize servers directly connected to your local network, or you can virtualize cloud-based servers that you connect to via the internet.

VMware is the most popular choice for virtualizing on-premises servers. It requires a bigger upfront investment in hardware and IT maintenance than cloud-virtualized servers require, but gives you more control over how everything is set up and secured.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the most popular choice for cloud-based virtualization because it is simple and affordable.

In the early days, moving from on-premises virtualization to the cloud meant rebuilding the entire setup from the ground up. Fortunately, AWS announced last year that VMware users would be able to essentially copy and paste their on-premises (virtualization) servers to the cloud. That upgrade finally became available to users in August 2017.

Virtualized disaster recovery

This new partnership is great news for VMware users. If your business has a local virtualized server, it can be configured to automatically move to the cloud when your office is damaged or without power. When handled properly, customers and remote employees can continue to access your servers without any interruption of service.

So in addition to significantly reducing hardware expenses, virtualization improves business continuity. To get the most out of this technology in your office, give us a call today.

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Most Android users know that there’s more to their devices than meets the eye. Business users, in particular, are becoming even more dependent on their mobile devices to make remote work more efficient. With a better understanding of what Android Oreo is capable of, users can better manage their devices, improve workflow, and save their company some time.

Notifications

More applications mean more notifications to manage. Fortunately, there are a handful of ways you can adjust your notifications other than simply turning them on or off.

• Snooze Notifications - Getting notifications from all your apps is distracting and reduces productivity. You can prevent them from appearing in the Notifications shade for a specified amount of time by swiping an alert in a left-to-right motion, whereby options to snooze it -- for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and so on -- will appear.
• Notification Dots - Important notifications within the Notification shade can get lost amid non-essential ones. There is a hidden feature that lets you view notifications and actions from only high-priority apps, such as a productivity platform or a messaging tool. Just press and hold an app icon and the notifications for that app will appear.
• Notification Channels - This feature gives you even greater control over managing your device’s notifications by letting you categorize them according to the level of priority, update status, and more. Simply swipe a notification alert from left to right, then tap ‘All Categories’ under the gear icon to adjust notification categories.

Wi-Fi Settings

• Automatically turn on Wi-Fi - Every time you’re near a ‘high-quality saved network,’ your Wi-Fi will turn on automatically and connect to that network, saving you a few taps. To activate this setting, toggle ‘Turn on Wi-Fi Automatically’ under your device’s Wi-Fi settings, and make sure the device is not in battery saver mode and that its location service is on.
• Wi-Fi Assistant and Google VPN - Oreo’s enhanced Wi-Fi Assistant lets users automatically connect to open Wi-Fi networks with a secured VPN connection from Google. This means you can connect to that coffeeshop wifi without worrying about how unsecure it is.

Battery

Inactive apps that run in the background are a big drain on your battery. Fortunately, a battery-optimizing feature in Android Oreo solves this problem. But first, you’ll have to determine which apps consume the most battery while running in the background. Go to Settings > Battery > “App usage since full charge,” and turn off Background Activity for apps that have high “While in background” times.

Data Autofill and Storage

The Autofill function analyzes your personal data, saved passwords, and other information based on the content on your screen and your general usage. What’s more, it can be used even for non-Google apps. You can activate it under Settings > System > Languages & input > Advanced > Autofill service.

When your device is running low on storage, Oreo’s improved Smart Storage feature frees up space by automatically deleting photos and videos that have already been backed up in Google Drive.

Many businesses rely on mobile devices not just for company communications but also for productivity, and these are just some of the tips that help maximize your devices’ usefulness. Get in touch with us today for more money-saving and efficiency-enhancing tips and tricks.

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iMac and MacBook users can download macOS High Sierra, Apple’s newest operating system that boasts better performance, improved features, and security patches. The new OS has plenty of major and minor updates, but here are some notable features that business users will be excited to hear about.

Greater speed and efficiency

The improved Photos app is getting most of the attention in the new OS, but what most users need to know is that macOS High Sierra has significant speed and performance upgrades.

The newly upgraded Apple File System increases Mac devices’ data-handling speeds, increases disk space, and reduces -- if not completely eliminates -- system crashes. The Apple ecosystem was already stable and secure from malware infection, but this enhancement gives it a further performance boost and greater protection from data loss caused by unexpected system failures.

It also increases disk space by cloning rather than copying duplicate files, which means they don’t take up space unless modified. Apple File System also saves up to 40% of storage space by compressing 4K media files without reducing their quality.

Better search function in Mail

Refinements in Mail include easier search, a feature that will delight users who constantly pore through hundreds of messages. The Top Hits feature pulls up the most relevant items based on usage criteria: the most recently read mail, senders most replied to, and contacts tagged as VIP. The Mail has also added a split-screen view, which comes into play when a user switches to full-screen mode and when sending a new email.

More Personalized Safari Settings

Significant changes in the new Safari include a more personalized setting and fewer ads. Safari users can now block content advertising, disable auto-play videos, and stop cookie tracking, which helps make their browsing history more private and secure. The new Safari also lets users adjust text size and location settings for certain websites, giving them greater control.

Other enhancements

These small yet functional enhancements in the macOS High Sierra are also worth noting:

• The Photos app gets an improved search function, “Loop” and “Bounce” effects on live photos, new editing tools and filters, and an improved interface that aims to make photo editing and organization a lot easier.
• Messages are now saved in the cloud, which makes retrieval easy for those who switch, replace, or lose their device.
• Spotlight gets a flight integration feature that lets users get departure and arrival, delays, and other flight information from the search icon.
• The Notes app now allows users to pin their most frequently used notes at the top and add tables to notes.

Upgrading to macOS High Sierra

Apple’s new OS is now available for download from the App Store. To install, go to the App Store (or click the Apple icon at the top left corner of your screen and click App Store), click macOS High Sierra displayed in the featured section, then click Download. Before you upgrade, it is recommended that you back up all your files.

Our experts can help you make the most of your OS’s productivity-enhancing features, regardless of OS version or device. Call us today if you need tips and recommendations from professionals.

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